Baptism of Fire
by EyesWideClosed
Summary: There was a last line of defense that infamous night in Godric's Hollow and everyone's lives were changed. In which lies and betrayal make fools of many and the smallest regrets can inspire the greatest acts of fortitude.


**Disclaimer: **I once again own nothing.

**Rating: **T just to be safe.

xxxx

He stands alone for the first time in his life and it feels like he's stepping into an unwanted future. He'd like nothing more than to step back of course and keep stepping until eventually he's turning and he's running right back into two hours ago when it had all been okay. But of course he can't do that. He made a promise after all.

He made a promise to the three of them.

To Peter as well, but he doesn't want to think about all that right now.

He doesn't really want to think about anything.

He knows two of them are dead. He felt their life leave them through the soul bond they'd each committed themselves to. It was to be their last line of defence. A way to send someone running if something went wrong.

It had done its job and he had not been quick enough.

The house was already destroyed by the time he arrived.

The dark mark shone green and brilliant up above the Potter residence and he stared up at it, numbness taking him. He fingered the two black marks on his palm idly and felt nothing.

He wondered if that was normal.

He would have left. He would have turned and run and never looked back if not for the throbbing red pulse beneath his palm. In the place that glowed a faint red where the other two marks were black.

Someone was alive in there.

Peter's mark had vanished of course. It had vanished from his skin the second he'd betrayed their trust and broken their bond by pledging allegiance to another. He knew that now. He knew it too late. If only he'd known then when Peter hadn't shown up that something was wrong. Maybe he could have prevented this somehow. But he hadn't and he didn't.

He should have known. Peter was never late.

They all hissed and clutched their wrists at the same time.

Lily looked over at him from her position by the crib with wide, frantic eyes, "Peter!"

James and Sirius were silent. They were all a little worried. It was not like Peter to be late.

They were all looking over at him for an explanation. He'd come up with the ancient blood magic after all. He should know how it operates and what was happening.

He should have had answers.

He should not have had to go looking for them.

But at the time he had been as puzzled as the rest of them. The magic was clear in its stipulation that when someone died their mark burned black into your skin and throbbed red when the person was injured or in danger. He had never heard of it disappearing before.

"No, he's not dead" he spoke quietly, running a thumb over the place where three marks, previously four, shone brilliant white on his palm, "The mark would be black"

Sirius nodded, looking pensive, "Maybe he's apparated somewhere then?" Remus looked over at him in surprise. It often astounded him how much Sirius had grown up over the past few months since the baby had come along. You'd have thought it was his kid the way he doted on his godson, "somewhere far enough away that we aren't connected anymore?"

James perked up at that, "It sounds possible," He looked over towards him with wide, questioning eyes, "what do you think Remus?"

He wasn't sure. From what he'd heard and read these kind of soul bonds were very powerful and a life-long commitment. They were not to be undertaken lightly nor their potency underestimated. They were connected to each other through the life force energy of the earth, through every living thing that walked and bloomed. It was not the kind of thing that could be broken by distance and quietly he feared some darker reason behind Peter's mark vanishing.

He should have voiced his concerns then, but at the time he'd only nodded at James who had smiled in relief. He hadn't wanted to give him any reason to worry until he could work it out.

It turned out to be his defining mistake.

"Could be" he murmured, "I'd still like to go and find out a bit more if I could. Just in case"

James and Sirius had nodded at him, but Lily looked worried, "Should you be going out by yourself Remus?"

He smiled at her as he slung his coat around his shoulders, "Don't worry Lily, I'll be fine" he looked around the room and met each of their eyes and kissed baby Harry on the head before leaving, "Stay safe"

They were the last words he'd said to them and the last time he'd seen their faces.

He'd never see two of them again and he didn't know which combination frightened him more. If it was Sirius, would he ever be the same without his best friend? He wasn't quite sure who Sirius was without James. If it was James or Lily, would they be able to live without each other and without Harry? Remus closed his eyes to ebb the tears that threatened to spill over at the thought of Harry, _poor innocent baby Harry_, who was murdered by a man trying to cling to the last vestiges of his power. He was suddenly angry, so blisteringly angry he saw red for a moment and kicked a lump of debris hard enough to shatter it. He breathed deeply. After a moment the feeling gave way to desperation as he remembered. Someone was _alive_ in there and injured if the throbbing red pulse was any indication. Steeling himself against what he might see, Remus entered the Potter residence. His footsteps were careful and his wand was drawn as he crossed the threshold. He saw a body he recognised immediately and could not hold back a choked sob.

James Potter lay face down in the rubble. He knew it was James just from the tangles of his flyaway hair. He bent down and turned the body over gently. Crying now, he pushed back his friend's fringe from his face and kissed his grubby forehead. He straightened his glasses without thinking and muttered a quick '_reparo'_ to fix the shattered lens. He felt his chest tighten when he realised that glasses, shattered or not, were not going to be much use to him anymore.

He leant James' body against the only wall downstairs that wasn't destroyed and did his best to make him look peaceful and for a moment he could almost believe he was sleeping. Except he wasn't. James would never sleep a day in his life again and he would most certainly never wake up. He would never wake up to his smiling wife and messy haired child again. He was dead, his son was dead and there was a good chance his wife was dead as well. Or Sirius.

He honestly didn't know which one he would dread more.

He made his way quietly up the stairs, his wand steady despite the turmoil inside his body. He checked each room as he passed and was just about to give up on finding anyone else alive, thinking they may have fled after the death eaters left, when a small moan caught his attention.

There was only one room he hadn't checked. Harry's room.

It was dark in this corner of the house. The sun had set and the roof had been blown out. The only light was the twinkling stars that shone up ahead and Remus listened for any other signs of life. There were none. Not even a whisper.

He rounded the corner and pushed the door open hesitantly. He cast a quick '_lumos'_ and was frozen in shock momentarily by the sight that met him.

He barely noticed the two bodies on the floor because Harry was looking at him with his mother's wide green eyes, untouched, save for a small lightening scar on his forehead.

Remus felt tears in his eyes and he ran to the crib, plucking Harry up without a thought. The young boy was exhausted and had obviously cried himself horse because he promptly fell asleep on Remus' shoulder with nothing more than a contented sigh.

Remus clung to the baby desperately and he closed his eyes for a minute to soak up the feeling of Harry in his arms. _Thank god, _he thought as he tucked the small child's face under his chin. Harry was alive!

Once he was assured of Harry's health and safety, he looked towards the two forms on the floor with dread in his heart. They were both dead. That was obvious and Remus closed his eyes tightly, fighting not to make a sound in case he woke Harry. He couldn't stop the tears however and his shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Sirius was spread out, arms thrown wide, eyes to the sky. He had obviously died defending Lily who was but two steps behind him, thrown over Harry's crib in a show of protectiveness. Their eyes were glassy and unseeing and Remus fought the urge to crumble like the old house, like the remnants of his old life.

Nothing would be the same after this.

He cradled Harry reverently and shushed him gently when he stirred with a distressed whine. Obviously recognising his frequent babysitter, he was back to sleep in mere seconds and Remus kissed his black shock of hair lovingly.

He'd known from the moment he'd seen Harry that they were both dead. When he'd walked into the room and seen Sirius, underneath the dread, he'd felt a momentary hope that Lily was still alive. When he saw Harry he hadn't needed to see her body, a mere two metres away, to know she was dead as well. During his travels in Romania with the Vampires he'd learnt a lot about blood magic but also a lot about magical scarring. He knew the mark of a life shield when he saw one and he kissed the little boys lightening scar purposefully, both silently admonishing and thanking Lily for her sacrifice. There was a part of Lily in Harry now, surrounding him and protecting him. A piece of her soul that would protect him from dark magic. It would also connect Harry to him.

Remus felt the piece of Lily living within Harry hum pleasantly against his palm and he watched as the mark turned white once more, signalling Harry's contentment.

He didn't understand what had happened tonight, where Voldemort was or how his friends had died, but he knew one thing. They had all died for the small little boy in his arms without a second thought and Remus would be dammed if he ever let that sacrifice go to waste.

He turned his back on the Potters home and walked out, being careful not to disturb anything further. Before he left he kissed Sirius on the forehead in much the same way he had James and arranged Lily into the arm chair by the crib, smoothing her hair from her face.

When he ran into Hagrid out the front he calmly explained that Harry was now bonded to Remus in the same way his mother was and showed him the evidence scarred into his palm.

Harry was his family now and Hagrid had no business taking him away from him.

He explained that he would argue his case to Dumbledore in the morning but right now, Harry needed to rest and was coming home with him. He sent a reluctant Hagrid on his way, telling him to take Sirius' motorbike with him back to the castle. He wouldn't be needing it anymore.

Hagrid looked stricken but complied.

The next morning, after watching Harry sleep fitfully through the night, Remus went to see Dumbledore and explain the nature of his connection to Harry. Dumbledore seemed to consider this seriously, but was still concerned about Harry growing up in the wizarding world. Remus smiled at that and reminded him that he was a werewolf and lived on the outskirts of the city in a muggle farming area anyway. The only other magical family were the Prewitt's and they were good friends of his that wouldn't pry. It was very remote. Harry would be safe there. Eventually Dumbledore agreed to let him take Harry under one condition.

That he take up the recently vacated position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Remus smiled and accepted his terms.

That night he took Harry home. Molly Weasley (nee Prewitt) played with Harry in the living room while he and his old school friend Arthur helped him set up Harry's new room.

When he puts Harry to bed that night it was to 'the Tales of Beedle the Bard' and a soft kiss on the forehead. Harry slept restfully that night and every night afterwards until slowly the years stretched on, old wounds began to heal and it was time for him to start at Hogwarts.

Harry wasn't nervous. Voldemort was gone and Peter Pettigrew had been apprehended years ago. Besides he'd get to see Remus every day anyway. The golden haired werewolf was every Hogwarts student's favourite professor after all. Unsurprisingly Harry was sorted into Gryffindor and Remus was sure he was grinning like a fool and clapping louder than any teacher at the staff table when Snape glared at him from over his pumpkin juice, but Remus didn't care.

And if Harry, a miniature James, sitting down next to a loud red haired boy that reminded him far too much of Sirius and a disapproving bushy hared girl that was eerily reminiscent of Lily, made him smile a little painfully with nostalgia he didn't show it.

Harry was alive and happy and that was all that mattered.

xxxx

**AN: **I may have cried a little writing this, but my mind was going every which way but loose so it probably wasn't because my writing was particularly emotional. I was kind of obsessed with the idea of Harry forming a magical bond with Remus and this was what happened. I think this was my first marauders story in which I didn't write Remus and Sirius as a couple, but I like how it worked out anyway. Hope you liked it.


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